This invention relates to a combined-type connector in which a plurality of connector housings, each having a plurality of terminals received therein, are connected together in a multi-stage manner to provide the combined-type connector.
FIGS. 8 to 12 show a combined-type connector (see Japanese Patent Application No. Hei.9-223764). FIG. 8 is a perspective view of this combined-type connector, which shows a condition before it is brought into a combined condition. FIG. 9 is an enlarged, perspective view of an important portion of an upper connector housing as viewed from the lower side thereof. FIG. 10 is an enlarged, perspective view of an important portion of a lower connector housing as viewed from the upper side thereof. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an important portion, which shows a condition in which press-connecting terminals are held in contact with partition walls. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an important portion, which shows a condition in which the press-connecting terminal is pressed and deformed by the partition wall.
In FIGS. 8 to 12, the combined-type connector 1 includes the upper connector housing 2 and the lower connector housing 3, and a lower surface 2a of the upper connector housing 2 and an upper surface 3a of the lower connector housing 3 serve respectively as connecting surfaces opposed to each other. A plurality of terminal storage chambers 4 are formed in the upper connector housing 2, and extend in a forward-rearward direction, and are juxtaposed in a right-left direction. These terminal storage chambers 4 are separated from one another by the partition walls 5 (shown in FIGS. 11 and 12). A rear portion of the lower surface (connecting surface) 2a of the upper connector housing 2 is open to provide an opening 6, and rear portions of the terminal storage chambers 4 are exposed through this opening 6. The press-connecting terminals 7 (shown in FIGS. 11 and 12) are received in the terminal storage chambers 4, respectively, and one end portion of a wire W is press-connected to a wire press-connecting portion 7a formed at a rear portion of each press-connecting terminal 7. The wire press-connecting portion 7a is bent into a generally U-shape, and distal ends of opposed side walls thereof project upwardly beyond the partition walls 5.
On a front portion of the lower surface (connecting surface) 2a of the upper connector housing 2, three first front retaining projections 8 of a generally trapezoidal cross-section are formed to extend in the forward-rearward direction, one of these projections 8 being disposed at a central portion of this front portion whereas the other two projections 8 are disposed respectively on opposite sides of this central projection 8, and are spaced a predetermined distance therefrom. Second front retaining projections 9 are formed respectively on opposite ends of the front portion of the lower surface 2a of the upper connector housing 2. As best shown in FIG. 9, each second front retaining projection 9 includes a downwardly-extending, introducing rib 9a of a semi-circular shape, an introducing tapering convex portion 9b extending obliquely from a distal end of the introducing rib 9a, and a flat convex portion 9c extending horizontally from the bottom of the introducing tapering convex portion 9b. Rear retaining projections 10, each in the form of an engagement pole, are provided respectively on opposite side surfaces of the upper connector housing 2 at the rear portion thereof.
A plurality of terminal storage chambers 4 are formed in the lower connector housing 3, and extend in the forward-rearward direction, and are juxtaposed in the right-left direction. A rear portion of a lower surface of the lower connector housing 3 is open to provide an opening 6, and rear portions of the terminal storage chambers 4 are exposed through this opening 6. Similarly the upper connector housing 2, press-connecting terminals (not shown) are received in the terminal storage chambers 4 of the lower connector housing 3, respectively.
A cover 11 is connected to the lower side of the lower connector housing 3 through hinge portions (not shown). The opening 6 can be closed by this cover 11. A plurality of partition walls 12 are formed on a rear portion of the upper surface (connecting surface) 3a of the lower connecting housing 3 so as to be opposed respectively to the plurality of partition walls 5 on the upper connector housing 2. A wire position-limiting projection 13 (shown in FIGS. 11 and 12) is formed between any two adjacent partition walls 12.
Three first front retaining recesses 14 of a generally inverted trapezoid-shaped cross-section are formed in a front portion of the upper surface (connecting surface) 3a of the lower connector housing 3, one of these recesses 14 being disposed at a central portion of this front portion whereas the other two recesses 14 are disposed respectively on opposite sides of this central recess 14, and the other recesses 14 are spaced a predetermined distance therefrom. Second front retaining recesses 15 are formed respectively in opposite ends of the front portion of the upper surface 3a of the lower connector housing 3. As best shown in FIG. 10, each second front retaining recess 15 includes a guide tapering recess portion 15a for receiving the introducing rib 9a and the introducing tapering convex portion 9b, and a horizontal recess portion 15b for receiving the flat convex portion 9c. Rear retaining arms 16 of an elastic nature are formed respectively on opposite side surfaces of the lower connector housing 3 at the rear portion thereof, and each of the rear retaining arms 16 has a rear retaining hole 17.
In the above construction, the press-connecting terminals 7 are received respectively in the terminal storage chambers 4 formed in the connector housings 2 and 3, and the wire W is connected at one end portion to each of the press-connecting terminals 7, and thereafter the opening 6 in the lower connector housing 3 is closed by the cover 11. Then, the upper connector housing 2 is set on a combining jig (not shown), with its lower surface 2a directed upwardly, and then the lower connector housing 3 is placed on the thus set upper connector housing 2 from the upper side, with the upper surface 3a thereof directed downwardly. When placing the lower connector housing on the upper connector housing, the first front retaining projections 8, the second front retaining projections 9 and the rear retaining projections 10 of the upper connector housing 2 are generally positioned with respect to the first front retaining recesses 14, the second front retaining recesses 15 and the rear retaining arms 16 of the lower connector housing 3, respectively.
Then, the lower connector housing 3 is pressed downwardly, so that the opposed connecting surfaces of the two connector housings 2 and 3 are moved toward each other, and therefore in this connecting position, the first front retaining projections 8 and the second front retaining projections 9 are fitted into the first front retaining recesses 14 and the second front retaining recesses 15, respectively. Also the rear retaining projections 10 are retainingly engaged respectively in the rear retaining holes 17 since the rear retaining arms 16 are elastically deformed. Therefore, the two connector housings 2 and 3 are combined together.
In accordance with the movement of the two connector housings 2 and 3 toward the connecting position, the partition walls 12 are moved toward the partition walls 5, respectively, and are substantially held against the partition walls 5 at their respective distal ends. Therefore, the terminal storage chambers 4 are substantially completely separated or isolated from one another, and the short-circuiting between the adjacent press-connecting terminals 7 is prevented.
However, in the above combined-type connector 1, the connecting surfaces of the two connector housings 2 and 3 are first located in opposed, spaced relation to each other, and then the connecting surfaces are gradually moved toward each other from the opposed, spaced positions so that the two connector housings 2 and 3 can be connected together. The positioning of the two connector housings 2 and 3 relative to each other during the connecting operation is unstable.
Namely, in the right-left direction, the positioning of the front portions of the two connector housings 2 and 3 is effected by inserting the first front retaining projections 8 respectively into the first front retaining recesses 14. In the forward-rearward direction the positioning of these front portions is effected by inserting the front second retaining projections 9 respectively into the front second retaining recesses 15. Therefore, there is no problem. However, the positioning of the rear portions of the two connector housings 2 and 3 is effected only by engaging the rear retaining projections 10 respectively with the elastically-deformable rear retaining arms 16. Therefore, these rear portions can be easily displaced in the right-left direction which is the direction of elastic deformation of the rear retaining arms 16.
When the two connector housings 2 and 3 are moved toward the connecting position, with the lower connector housing 3 displaced in the right-left direction from the proper position, the partition walls 12 of the lower connector housing 3 abut against the wire press-connecting portions 7a of the press-connecting terminals 7 as shown in FIG. 11, and the wire press-connecting portions 7a are bent by a pressing force applied from the partition walls 12. When the wire pressconnecting portion 7a of the press-connecting terminal 7 is bent outwardly as shown in FIG. 12, there is a fear that this wire press-connecting portion 7a contacts the adjacent press-connecting terminal 7, thus causing the short-circuiting.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a combined-type connector in which the short-circuiting between adjacent terminals during a connecting operation is prevented.
According to the present invention, there is provided a combined-type connector including:
at least first and second connector housings;
said first and second connector housings being respectively provided with first and second terminal storage chambers, said first and second connector housings being adapted to stack one on the other;
first partition walls, on said first connecting housings, for defining said first terminal storage chambers;
second partition walls, on said second connecting housings, for defining said second terminal storage chambers;
wherein first distal end surfaces of said first partition walls are substantially abutted respectively against second distal end surfaces of said second partition walls;
wherein said first connector housing is slidable relative to said second connector housing in a sliding direction parallel to a direction in which each said second partition walls extend; and
wherein said first connector housing is slidably moved relative to said second connector housing in said sliding direction to a connecting position.
In this combined-type connector, when the other connector housing is slid relative to the one connector housing, the partition walls on the other connector housing move or slide respectively over the partition walls on the one connector housing, and therefore even if the partition walls on the other connector housing are displaced relative to the partition walls on the one connector housing in the direction perpendicular to the direction of extending of the partition walls, so that the partition walls on the other connector housing contact the terminals, these terminals will not be bent outwardly.
In the combined-type connector of the invention, front lock mechanism are provided respectively at front end portions of the two connector housings in a sliding direction, and rear lock mechanism are provided respectively at rear end portions of the two connector housings in the sliding direction, and the front lock mechanism, as well as the rear lock mechanism, are engaged with each other in the connecting position of the two connector housings to connect the two connector housings together, and position lock mechanism are provided respectively at the two connector housings, and are engaged with each other in the connecting position of the two connector housings to position the two connector housings relative to each other in the sliding direction.
In this combined-type connector, when the sliding movement is effected, the two connector housings are positioned relative to each other in the connecting position by the position lock mechanism, and also the two connector housings are connected together at their front and rear portions by the front lock mechanism and the rear lock mechanism.
In the combined-type connector of the invention, the front lock mechanism on the one connector housing comprises front projections which are formed on the connecting surface of the one connector housing, and extend in the sliding direction, and the front lock mechanism on the other connector housing includes front recesses which are formed in the connecting surface of the other connector housing, and have their one ends open to a front end surface of the other connector housing in the sliding direction, and the front projections are engageable in the front recesses, respectively; and the rear lock mechanism on the one connector housing comprises rear projections, and the rear lock mechanism on the other connector housing comprises engagement arms, and each of the engagement arms has an engagement hole, and the rear projections are engaged only with the engagement arms, respectively, when the sliding movement is effected, and when the engagement arms abut respectively against the rear projections during the sliding movement of the other connector housing, the engagement arms are elastically deformed to allow the rear projections to slide, and when the other connector housing slides into the connecting position, the engagement arms are elastically restored into their respective initial positions, so that the rear projections are engaged in the engagement holes, respectively.
In this combined-type connector, slightly before the two connector housings reach the connecting position during the above sliding movement, the front projections of the front lock mechanism begin to be engaged respectively in the front recesses, and also the engagement arms of the rear lock mechanism abut respectively against the rear projections, and begin to be elastically deformed.
In the combined-type connector of the invention, at least one of each engagement arm and each rear projection has a slanting surface formed on that side thereof directed in the sliding direction.
In this combined-type connector, at least one of the engagement arm and the rear projection has the slanting surface, and therefore even if the two connector housings are displaced with respect to each other (that is, disposed out of registry with each other) in the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, the slanting surface serves as a guide surface so as to correct this misregistration. And besides, since the rear projection and the engagement arm abut against each other through the slanting surface, the pressing force from the rear projection acts on the engagement arm in a direction to easily elastically deform the engagement arm.